Deciding on the room assignments took quite a while.

Sho and Fukuma, having been stationed on either side of me last time, insisted that the arrangement should remain unchanged.

However, Chiyu, Shion, and Roa argued that since they had secured a new house to accommodate their growing group, fairness demanded that the room assignments be redrawn from scratch.

The two factions engaged in heated debate, but no conclusion was reached.

Ultimately, the matter came down to a majority vote among the girls, and Sho and Fukhma lost with only two votes in their favor.

Consequently, the room assignments would be determined anew.

"Today, I shall reclaim my title as 'the Childhood Friend Living Next Door.'"

Chiyu, a petite childhood friend with white hair and blue eyes.

"After all, it’s nice to be near someone you like, isn't it?"

Shion, a pure and lovely beauty with long black hair.

"... I can just win it back again!"

Sho, a blonde girl with side tails who is kind even to otaku. "Yeah. There’s no way I’m going down without a fight."

The earnest and serious class representative with black hair in a ponytail: Fuhou.

"I believe a maid should be positioned so that she can respond instantly to her master's call."

Loh, the gentle yet capable maid with cream-colored, wavy long hair flowing freely.

"…For me, it doesn't really matter which room I end up in."

Yumekai, a gloomy girl with a lone wolf personality, sporting a navy-blue bob with bangs cut straight down.

"Does the teacher also think any room is fine? No, rather, as an adult, do you believe she should be in a position where she can supervise the students?"

Mr./Ms. Luminus, the class co-teacher, who has brown hair tinged with yellow, tied up into an ox-horn bun at the back of her head.

"Kuno is super popular. Okay, I'm gonna aim to be next to you too~"

Soube, a lively and teasing black gal, who has long gray hair with a section at the back of her head tied up in a scrunchie.

The eight of them split into two groups, and each group decided things through rock-paper-scissors battles.

Within each group, they established a ranking, and those who came in the same place would play rock-paper-scissors against each other next.

They determined the rooms in this order: the winner and loser of the rock-paper-scround match between the two first-place finishers, the winner and loser of the match between the second-place finishers, and so on.

The groupings were simple: the initial four, and the four new members.

I couldn't exactly leave my room, so I just watched from behind the door.

It would have been impossible to witness such a fierce battle among eight beautiful women and young beauties all vying for the rooms adjacent to mine anywhere else. You'd never see that unless you were stuck on a desert island.

Eventually, the results for both groups came in, setting up the decisive clash between those tied for the same rank.

Once this was settled, the room assignments would be finalized.

And the result was—

"It's inevitable that I win. Making a thing of the past where childhood friends are destined to be the 'losing heroines,' here is the overwhelmingly victorious heroine, Chiyu. It is Ishiama Chiyu who you have."

Chiyu raised her small hands, waving at the crowd as she declared it.

Taking first place in her group and overall, the childhood friend secured the top spot.

Naturally, she chose the room directly next to mine.

"Following Lady Chiyu's lead, shall I become the overwhelmingly dominant maid?"

Loa, who took first in her group but second overall, selected the adjacent room on the opposite side of Chiyu.

That filled both sides of my room.

Third place overall went to Meshiko.

"Ugh. Then it's the room across from So-suke!"

Fourth place was Teacher Ruminas.

"I, um, in that case, I'll just take this room here."

Mr. Luminas chose a room that wasn't directly across, but close enough to rush over if something happened.

Gofu is Shindhou.

"Then I'll take this one. It's next door to Meshiko, and closer to Sousuke too."

The sixth was Shoube.

"Waa! No way, I'm not near Kuuno again. Getting close to a super-popular guy is hard enough on its own. Then I'll just take the room next to Meshiko's!"

The seventh was Mujun.

"...I'll go with that corner room over there. That side seems too noisy."

The eighth became Shiine.

"Aww... no matter where I choose, it's a little far from Sousuke-kun."

With a lonely look on his face, Shiine selected the room next to Senryu's.

Excluding the empty rooms, this is how the assignments turned out.

On one side of the hallway: Loa, me, Senryu, Shiine.

On the other side: Shoube, Meshiko, Shindhou, and Mr. Luminas. In the corner room, far from everyone, was Mujun.

"It's not too bad. You probably won't even use your own room at night, right..."

I said that to Shiine, not sure if it would actually be of any comfort.

"U-un. Besides, I'm not totally forbidden from going to Sousuke-kun's room, right?"

Shion looked up at me with glistening eyes.

"That's right."

As I nodded, Shion smiled in relief.

Senrui and the others looked up at me with sideways glances.

"Of course, you're all welcome to come by anytime," I said.

The pressure from their stares lifted.

"It's nice having a mansion, but don't you think it'd be a hassle finding someone if the place is this big?"

Hearing Shoufu's remark, I laughed. "You're right about that."

"Oh, then let's do this. We'll put signs on each door. Double-sided ones that say 'Occupied' and 'Vacant.'"

"Hmm. Good idea. If we put them in the library and the other rooms too, we can save the trouble of searching inside one by one."

"That's cool, right? By the way, aren't you going to make little signs or decorations for your own room?"

As Shouko suggested it, Shion nodded.

"Hehe, that sounds nice. Just slapping on room numbers would be bland, and we'd probably get lost without some sort of marker."

It seemed the rest of the group was in favor too.

"Then let's make the signs for each room, and once we're done, let's have lunch."

Since the teacher and Shōbu joined up, it's probably a barbecue party to welcome them.

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It took quite a while to decide on the room assignments.

Shouko and Shinpo argued that since they were my neighbors last time, there was no need to change the room assignments.

However, Senyuu, Shion, and Roa argued that since the house was newly built to accommodate the increase in members, it was fair to decide on new room assignments.

The two factions with opposing views engaged in heated debates, but no conclusion was reached.

In the end, a majority vote among the women was held, and Shouko and Shinpo only managed to get two votes and lost.

The room assignments were to be decided anew.

"I'll get my place as your neighbor back today."

My petite silver-haired, blue-eyed childhood friend, Senyuu.

"Of course, being close to the person you like is best."

My clear and elegant black-haired long-haired beauty, Shion.

"…I can just win it back again!"

My friendly gal with a gold side-tail, Shouko. "Of course. I can't lose."

Black-haired ponytail, straight-laced class representative, Shinpo.

"I think a maid should always be in a position to respond immediately to her master's call."

Cream-colored wavy long hair flowing, the laid-back and efficient maid, Roa.

"...I don't really care which room it is."

Blue-haired bob-cut, a lone-wolf type, downer girl, Yumika.

"Or do you think the teacher should be in a position to supervise the students as an adult... no, in any room?"

The class's vice teacher, Lumina, has her light brown hair tied into a bun at the back.

"Kouno, you're popular. Okay, I'll aim for the room next to yours."

Gray long hair, with a part of the back of her head tied up with a scrunchie, is the energetic and teasing black girl, Shoubu.

The eight of them split into two groups and have a rock-paper-scissors showdown.

Each group ranks them, and those with the same ranking play rock-paper-scissors again.

The winner and loser of the rock-paper-scissors between the first place, the winner and loser of the rock-paper-scissors between the second place... and so on, they decide the rooms in that order.

The group division was simple, with the original four and the new four members.

I couldn't leave the room, so I just watched the scene unfold.

Eight beautiful girls and young women fighting over my neighboring room was something I never would have encountered had I not been on this desert island.

Soon, the results of both groups were in, and it was time for the showdown between the top-ranked members.

Once this was decided, the room assignments would be set. And the results were...

"I am destined to win. I am Chiyu, the overwhelming heroine who will put an end to the trend of childhood friends losing to heroines. Chiyu, the overwhelming heroine, I mean."

Chiyu raised her small hand as if waving to the audience and said.

The top-ranked group, and overall first place, was the childhood friend. She naturally chose my neighboring room.

"Then, following Chiyu-sama's example, shall I become the overwhelming maid?"

The group's first place, and overall second place, was Roa, who chose the room opposite Chiyu. This filled both my neighboring rooms. The third place overall was Shouko.

"Ugh. Then, that means the room across from Tsunao's!" The fourth place was Luminescence-sensei.

"Then, Sensei will take this room, right?"

The teacher chose a room that's not directly across but close enough to run to if something happens. Five is Deep Ho.

"If that's the case, I'll take this room. It's next to Shouko's room and close to Soju." Six is Zoubu.

"Wow! It's impossible to be close to Kino. Getting close to a popular guy is hard, huh? Then I'll take Shouko's room." Seven is Yumika.

"......I'll take this corner room. That side seems noisy." Eight is Shion.

"Ugh......No matter where I choose, it's a little far from Soju-kun."

Shion looked sad and chose the room next to Chiyu.

The room allocation would be like this, excluding the empty room.

On one side of the hallway are Roa, me, Chiyu, and Shion.

On the other side are Zoubu, Shouko, Deep Ho, and the teacher. Yumika is in the corner room far from everyone.

"Well, well. You probably won't use your room much anyway......"

I don't know if it will comfort her, but I say that to Shion.

"Y-Yeah. Besides, there's nothing wrong with going to Soju-kun's room."

Shion looks up at me with moist eyes. "Yeah."

When I nod, Shion smiles in relief.

Chiyou is looking up at me with a sharp gaze.

"Of course, everyone is welcome to come anytime." The pressure from the stares stops.

"I'm glad it's a mansion, but it's going to be difficult to find someone with so much space, isn't it?"

I laugh and say, "Yeah, you're right," in response to Shoubu's words.

"Oh, then let's do this. We'll hang a sign on each room. It'll be double-sided, like 'In Use' and 'Available.'"

"Mm. Great idea. We could hang them in the library and other rooms too, so we won't have to search inside each room."

"That's great, that's great. And also, should we make signs for our own rooms? Decorations?" Shion nods at the maidservant's suggestion.

"Hehe, that sounds nice. Numbering the rooms would be boring, and without some kind of marker, we might get mixed up."

It seems the other members agree as well.

"Then let's make signs for each room, and once that's done, let's have lunch."

Since the teacher and the makeup department joined, it must be a welcome party barbecue.

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